SCITUATE — Warner Dauphinee’s red 1964 Sunbeam Tiger convertible is a prime example of what used to be called a hybrid back in the 1960s — a mix of European styling with American power.He said he wanted...

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By
Peter C.T. Elsworth
Posted Jun. 1, 2013 @ 12:01 am

SCITUATE — Warner Dauphinee’s red 1964 Sunbeam Tiger convertible is a prime example of what used to be called a hybrid back in the 1960s — a mix of European styling with American power.

He said he wanted to get a sports car and had been looking at MGBs. But his brother-in-law Dean Cook, who has a garage, advised him to get an American car. So he compromised by getting a European car with an American engine.

“The engine sounds American,” he said as he started up the demure-looking roadster to produce a deep, throaty roar.

Rootes Group of Britain introduced the Sunbeam Alpine in 1956 and produced about 70,000 through 1968. From the beginning the car was aimed at the U.S. market.

But in 1964, Dauphinee said race car driver and designer Carroll Shelby of AC Cobra fame helped convert it into a so-called hybrid by replacing the four cylinder engine with a Ford 260 cubic inch V8, and the Alpine Tiger was born.

“At last!” reads a contemporary advertisement that Dauphinee has in his collection. “Powerful performance and placid personality in one car — the Sunbeam Tiger, now available to discerning drivers who appreciate ease of driving with fantastic acceleration.”

The car boasted 164 horsepower, zero to 60 mph in 9.2 seconds and a top speed of 120 mph, according to the ad.

“My Tiger is my steady,” Jo Collins, Playboy’s 1965 Playmate of the Year, was quoted in another ad as she perched on a pink version dressed in a skimpy pink outfit.

However, production only continued until 1967 when Chrysler bought out Rootes and did not have an engine to replace the Ford 260, Dauphinee said.

He said he bought his Tiger in 1987, “before it was an antique.” In 1989, he registered it as an antique and had it restored over the course of the following year.

“It took me quite a while,” he said. “There was no Internet back then.” He said he found advice and parts through CAT and “a lot of phone calls.”

Parts he could not find he had manufactured.

He also changed the color from black to red, noting he also has a restored 1965 Mustang GT 350 tribute car, also in red.

Dauphinee said his first car was a red and white 1956 Chevy Bel Air convertible when he was in college, followed by a red 1964 Plymouth Barracuda when he got out.

“If it’s going to be a sports car convertible, it’s got to be red,” he said.

Dauphinee’s Tiger is numbered 1,111 out of the 5,000 that he said were imported into the United States. “It’s almost pretty well stock,” he said, noting that many were modified to race.

He said he added larger radials, which made it run and handle better. “It’s a lot of fun to drive. You can go from zero to 50 mph in first gear,” he said, adding that the engine does not strain at 100 mph. “Give it the gas and it will go.”

He said the car has been very reliable, although the lights and dashboard were made by Lucas, a British company infamous for faulty lighting.

Dauphinee said he went to see it with his brother-in-law and his body man. The engine was in good shape with only 38,000 miles on it, he said, but the body was “a little rough.”

The car was restored by Alan China of Coventry, who has since moved to Arizona. “He did a great job,” Dauphinee said.

The sides of the car carry two badges, one reading a carryover from the Alpine, reading “Rootes Group,” and the other added: — “Powered by Ford 260.”

Compared to the Cobra, with its massive Ford 427 cubic inch V8, the Sunbeam Tiger was marketed as a sports car that a regular person could drive. Dauphinee said it was known as the poor man’s Cobra — although at $3,600 in 1964, it was not a cheap car.

He said it was fitted with a special cross member to strengthen it, plus the front suspension was beefed up to accommodate the 350 pounds of extra engine weight.

The firewall had to be cut to accommodate the V8. “If you want to change the eighth spark plug, good luck!” he said, laughing, explaining that it can only be changed by going in through a hole in the firewall under the dashboard.

Dauphinee, 68, recently retired as sales executive at Walco Electric. He and Elizabeth have two children and four granddaughters.

“They love the car,” he said of the grandchildren, while conceding that with just a space behind the front seats, rides were limited to trips around the block of his quiet residential street.

He said he intends to use the car more now that he is retired. He has used it very sparingly, putting only 3,000 miles since he bought it 26 years ago.

“All the (country lanes) around Glocester, Foster and Coventry are perfect for convertibles,” he said.

He also said he will be attending more car cruise nights and shows, citing in particular the British Motorcars of New England club, which meets weekly in the summer at the Gazebo in Scituate.

He has about 40 trophies and numerous toy cars in the finished basement — Dauphinee simply cut a low entryway through the wall to let the Tiger in.

Indeed, the Tiger’s place amongst the exercise bikes, easy chairs, TV, trophies and toys in Dauphinee’s man cave is marked by an oil pan on the carpet, much like a favorite pet’s place is marked by a cushion or pillow.